Identification and Evaluation of Environmental Functions of Forests

Abstract

This Chapter develops the basis for undertaking assessment of environmental functions of forests, very important in the context problems like climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation, which have national as well as global dimensions. The problem seems not so much to be a question of technology or establishing a global level database, but a lack of capacity to understand fully various dimensions of the global problems and lack of capacity in many tropical countries to collect and analyse information. To this end, a conceptual basis is presented of various system components and main variables associated with the environment benefits of forests. Finally, an illustrative example is provided of the approach for assessment and evaluation of soil run- off in two watersheds of India.